Bruce Wayne: A Psychological Report by Dr Strange
by GraphicLiterature
Summary: Set in an alternate universe after the alternate Catwoman ending for Arkham City. CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS. Read at your own risk, and please R&R! Truly complete now!
1. Synopsis & Disclaimers

**The Many Faces of Bruce Wayne: A Psychological Report.**

**Quick A/N: Now, I'm no psychiatrist, I know nothing about the mechanics of Bruce Wayne's, or even Batman's, mind. I decided to write this story on a whim and it's all total bollocks. The style is along the lines of the interview tapes found in both Arkham-verse games.**

**WARNING!** This story contains mild spoilers for _Arkham City_, only read this if you have played the game or know the games ending! Otherwise...please, R&R!

Set in an alternate universe branching from the alternate ending for Catwoman in the _Arkham City_ video game. Catwoman left with her valuables from Strange's vault (situated next to an alleyway in Gotham City, weird dont you think?) and left Batman for dead. Back at the Sionis factory, Joker left with Talia as Batman passed out. Batman was unable to free himself and go take down Professor Hugo Strange at Wonder Tower, and as such Ra's was not there to give his big Super-Villain-Monologue to Batman, and met Talia and Joker in the Lazerus pit instead, where he challenged Joker as he had done Batman. But Joker wasn't up to the challenge, and was brutally murdered by Ra's. Batman was found by T.Y.G.E.R. guards and brought into custody, which is where the story picks up.

I don't own Batman or Hugo Strange or the Arkham games (well I do on the xbox), but it'd be fucking AWESOME if I did.


	2. Tape 1

"Today is Wednesday the thirteenth of November, eleven-fortyfive am. Patient 967112, interview one...Good morning, Mister Wayne. You may be wondering why you are still here. Me and my master worked out a formula to reverse the effects of the Titan poison...I want to have fun breaking you slowly." Strange grinned, his voice menacing.  
>Professor Hugo Strange received no answer from the man sat across from him. Once one of the most, if not the most wealthy and important man in Gotham, reduced to a disgruntled, blubbering mess. the man had been captured during the Arkham City riots and the start of Protocol 10. He had been defeated at the hands of the Joker, and T.Y.G.E.R. agents had found his almost-dead body in the rubble of the Sionis factory.<br>Strange smiled slightly and placed a file on the table, hands palm-down and flat either side of it.

"Mister Wayne." He repeated firmly, then sighed and flipped the file open. "Bruce Wayne, born to millionaire industrialist Thomas Wayne, and Martha Wayne." He said for the courtesy of the room's recording. "Found to be suffering from dementia, and strong skitzophrenia. Multiple-personalities are more common than you think, Mister Wayne, but to the extent you have reached...7 seperate identities, all fighting for control of one man."  
>Wayne, at this point, looked up from the floor.<br>"So which one is it, Mister Wayne?" strange received no answer, but he intently studied Wayne's expression. "Bruce Wayne? Perhaps...Matches Malone?" He asked, picking out a piece of crisp white paper with a short list on it. "Lester Kurtz? Maybe even...the Batman?"  
>Wayne's face went blank, and Strange smiled darkly.<p>

"So that's it. The Batman is the identity that is winning the fight, is it?"  
>Wayne stared at Strange's face, Hugo could have sworn that Wayne was trying to stare him down. he stood, holding the file on the tips of splayed fingers.<br>"Let's just...start from the top, shall we? Bruce Wayne, after the death of his parents...was never the same boy, was he? He died with his parents in that alleyway at the hands of a petty criminal."

All the while he spoke, Wayne's face contorted in pain at the memory. In his straight-jacket his fists tightened.  
>"Thus, this plunged you into a downward spiral, correct? Over the years you drunk yourself into a stupor with whichever blonde bimbo you could lay your hands on." Hugo said, his tone a pointed dagger. "This brings me onto what I consider to be the tipping point," Strange said with a smile.<p>

A/N: So Tape #1 is a little short, I felt it would be good for Strange to try and break Wayne slowly...but will his patience hold?


	3. Tape 2

Wayne didn't respond, just stared down at the surface of the table.  
>"That's quite an ugly black eye you have there. Tell me, with all your training as the Batman, why couldn't you prevent that bruise from happening?" Strange asked, pressing his fingertips together and leaning across the table.<br>"You know why I couldn't prevent it." Wayne said darkly.  
>"Of course; the restraint jacket. Are you saying that the Batman has no way of escaping a simple piece of material?" Hugo suggested.<br>Wayne gritted his teeth.

"Hm. Very well, let us continue from where we left off. After moping around through your teenage years, you still blamed yourself for the death of your parents." Strange said, flipping open his file and sliding a photograph out from it. A photograph of a pre-teenaged Bruce Wayne and his parents. "But you decided that Gotham no longer felt like a home, correct? You left your butler..." He paused to find the name in the file, "Alfred Pennyworth."  
>At this point Hugo straightened in his seat and looked at Wayne from behind his mirrored glasses.<br>"You brought a ticket to Japan where I assumed you learnt the martial-arts skills you demonstrated during the Joker's attack on Arkham Asylum and later here...in Arkham City." Strange continued, "Then you continued travelling the world, although I haven't a clue why. I assume to gain more knowledge in your...war on crime." Strange slid papers across the desk. "You returned and took up the mantle of Batman, creating a persona to strike fear into your enemies, a symbol, correct?"

Wayne didn't respond to this, he continued to stare at the table. "Your first success, of course, was when Gotham had been over run by the Joker and his band of thugs."  
>For a few minutes, both men sat in silence. Strange cleared his throat. "Mister Wayne, maybe we should move onto...Matches Malone?" he said, "An identity you created to pass, unnoticed, in the Gotham criminal underworld, and it worked for a while, didn't it? But of course Matches was not another persona from the mind of Bruce Wayne but merely an identity, beit another persona, this time created by Batman...to gain information on your enemies that the Batman could use to take them down. What is your obsession with the criminal's in this city? Do you simply to find your parents killer and get revenge? Or is it that in your travels you have simply found nowhere that you felt you fitted in? Unable to find a new home...you returned but...Bruce Wayne still wanders, doesn't he? Bruce Wayne became another identity for the Batman, just another mask like Matches Malone or Lester Kurtz."<br>Wayne sat there in silence again and Strange sighed.

A/N; so I'm going with the "Batman is the real identity" side of things for the story, or at least Strange's sight of Batman, but this is mirrored in the AC Prelude comicbook.


	4. Tape 3

At this point, a door opened and a heavily dressed TYGER guard stepped inside, "Sir." He grunted, and approached Strange, whispering heatedly into the Doctor's ear.  
>"Problem, Strange?" Wayne grunted.<br>"It seems your little cohorts...those wretched children in your employment have broken into my office and hacked into my personal computer." He hissed, motioning for the guard to hit Wayne. Wayne grunted as the jutting ridges of the guards glove connected with his tooth; steel-tipped gloves? Knuckle dusters that kept your hands warm. "Tell me where they are, Wayne." Strange continued in his usual self-imposing, calm tone, "We have searched Wayne Manor, much to the dismay of your butler...and found nothing."

Wayne couldn't help but smirk at this. Robin must have activated the cave's lockdown proceedure, five-inch-thick steel crossed the doors and the computer terminals were sealed in glass laced with lead, steel and kryptonite. Turning the Batcave into simply...a cave beneath the Manor, to the outside world, totally invisible, while Robin had continued his work.  
>"I'll take it to my grave, Strange." Wayne responded, spitting blood onto the nice white floor.<br>"Guard."  
>At the command, the guard wrapped his arm around Wayne's neck and tightened just enough to make breathing a challenge.<br>"I will make life very difficult for you Mister Wayne, if you do not cooperate, I will destroy everything you hold close to your heart." Strange said with a sick, sadistic smile on his face. Wayne continued to struggle, shifting erratically in the seat as his legs flailed useleslly. Strange sat in the chair and gave a wave, instantly the guard released Wayne's neck.

Wayne coughed slightly.  
>"Always one for the theatrics, Mister Wayne...let us talk about your mask. Did you know that ordinary people hide behind masks every day? Whether it's to hide from a much-hated boss...or to hide a painful memory under layers of forgotten happiness. But which do you hide behind...Bruce Wayne? Or the Batman?" Strange asked linking his fingers together.<br>Wayne stared at him, giving nothing away.  
>"So who was Lester Kurtz? Merely a ruse to gain access and pass unnoticed into Arkham City, no doubt, did you not think my cameras would scan the inmates faces and flag anyone who didn't match a record? I do congratulate you, the fake criminal record your cohort manufactured was impressive." Strange said and studied Bruce Wayne for a minute. "I shall enjoy studying your brain after I break you." He said, almost to himself.<br>At that moment, the sound of muffled screaming was heard coming down the corridor. Wayne looked over and almost reacted, but...quick as he could blink, the guard had him back in a choke-hold. "W-who...?"

Strange gave another sadistic smile, "I do believe that the T.Y.G.E.R. Elite have captured Miss Kyle." He said, rubbing his hands together slightly. "We shall have to wrap this up soon...we wouldn't want Miss Kyle to come to any further harm now...would we?"  
>Wayne grimaced at the combination of Selina's screams and Strange's sick grin. "Okay...I'll tell you what you want to know." He said, defeated.<br>Strange leant forward like an excited child, "Go on, Mister Wayne."  
>Wayne sighed and spat in Strange's face suddenly "Go screw yourself!" He roared before being yanked sharply backwards by the guard, cutting off Bruce's cries to a gurgling sound as he fought.<p>

A/N: Hate me if you want, but that is implied rape...IMPLIED rape.


	5. Tape 4

"Sit him down. You see this?" Strange asked Wayne, slipping a copy of the Gotham Gazette from his pocket and opening it as Bruce was dumped back in the chair with a grunt. The date was almost a week old, but it was the headline that caught Wayne's attention; "Bruce Wayne Escapes Arkham City" and it showed a picture of a beaten and bloody Bruce Wayne, smiling and waving for the cameras.  
>Wayne's eyes widened but the newspaper was snatched away.<br>"Billionaire Bruce Wayne walked from the gates of Arkham City this morning" Strange began to read. "A disfigure shadow of his former self. Bruised and scars line his face, he says, a result of countless attacks."  
>Wayne stared in horror at Strange.<br>"From what I gather...that man is not Bruce Wayne but..." He grinned, "Thomas Elliot out to exact revenge." Strange said, looking down at the image. "He was a friend, in your childhood, was he not?" Wayne reluctantly nodded, once. "He envied you, correct? And then the fact that your father failed to save his...must have driven him mad."  
>"You...you allowed him to walk free...in my place!" Wayne asked.<p>

"Clever little detective!" Strange said with a big sinister grin. "How could I resist bringing Bruce Wayne down a peg or two? Thomas Elliot, of course, was a doctor at the Asylum, but it wasnt until he truly snapped that he put his plan into action. Seeing some of the injuries of the men in here...even caused some of them himself...he began killing people...taking their faces. I threw him onto the streets of the city when I realised that he was unstable...he found some political prisoners and continued his plan...and came to me. I honestly thought he was you at first but then...my Elite guard told me we had captured the Batman." Strange looked at Wayne. "Your entire reputation will be ripped to shreds, and my Master, the great Ra's Al Ghul will finally appoint me in his place for the ultimate defeat of you, Batman!" He said, his voice rising in pitch and intensity. "You have no way out, no friends to help you, and by now Mister Wayne, you may have realised that you have no...more...options..." Strange hissed...


	6. Tape 5

Strange stood over Wayne, positively towering as he glowered down at the rich playboy vigilante. Wayne stared up at Strange in what could best be described as awe; the man was clearly insane but couldnt see past his own delusions of granduer to see it. Pity.  
>"Mister Wayne?" Strange asked, "Have you nothing to say?"<p>

At this moment, alarm bells starting ringing, klaxon's rang and spot lights flickered on outside the windows. Strange dived across the room and stared out of the windows, his eyes followig the arc of the beams of light, searching for the same thing they were.  
>"Yes," Bruce Wayne said, standing from the chair and advancing on Strange. "I've got friends in other places besides Gotham," he growled.<p>

"Guards!" Strange yelled, not wanting to dirty his hands with unnecessary violence.  
>Wayne stopped advancing on Strange and turned to look at the door as two guards came through, glaring at Wayne. bruce turned and gave them a challenging look, and they both cracked their knuckles before moving towards the patient to give him a beating. Wayne didn't suspect that they were ready for him to fight back but Bruce caught them off guard, quickly and powerfully shoulder barging the first into the chin and kicking out at the second.<br>The first guard went down, out for the count, while the second recovered and glared at Wayne, who took a step back and powerfully shoulder barged him through the open door and into the wall, where he sank in a heap.

Wayne looked back but there was no sight of Strange now, having escaped the room during the scuffle.  
>There was a noise from the far end of the corridor and Wayne steeled himself for another fight. His eyebrow rose when he saw a guard fly back against the wall and sink to the floor, jerking from the electricity dart jutting from his neck.<br>Wayne straightened and watched both Robin and Nightwing push their way through and looked at Wayne in silence.

"Quite a mess you made." Dick said and moved towards Bruce, putting a case down in front of him, while Tim pulled a batarang from his belt and cut the straps from Bruce's restraint jacket.  
>"You took your time." bruce said accusingly as he pulled the cloth over his head and dumped it beside him before going to a knee and using his thumb-print to open the case, allowing him access to the Batsuit.<p>

"What's next?" Tim asked.  
>"Find Selena and get her out of here. I'm going after Strange." batman said as he pulled the cowl down over his face. "Oracle. Copy and wipe all record that I was here."<p>

The reply was muffled, unintelligible to the recording device which shorted and eventually failed.

**A/N: so that's the end, if I get any..._any_...reviews, positive or otherwise, I may continue this story and develop my Alternate Arkham Verse...**


	7. Archive Footage 1

**A/N: This author's note goes out to my anonymous reviewer! Thank you, but I'd really like to get in touch with you and find out what you'd like to see in the forthcoming Archive entries! Please PM me if you could, registering is quick and painless...I mean, free! **

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><p>Archive footage. Reel #228, 1228/11 21:39:45s.

Archive label:"All-Seeing, All-Knowing"

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><p>Barbara Gordan sat at her computer terminal in the Clocktower in Gotham's historical district, her fingers a blur over the keys. Only two men she knew of could move quicker than her fingers and none of them were able to help. She was trying to hack into the Arkham City secure network using a system Batman installed before he disappeared 4 days ago.<br>"Alfred, any word?"  
>"Nothing, I'm afraid. We may have to face the fact that..Master Bruce could be-"<br>"Don't say it, how could you even think it?"

There was a sigh over the airwaves but Barbara shook it off.  
>"Alfred we need to think positively, Bruce wouldnt roll over as easily as that," came a familar voice. Nightwing.<br>"Dick, where are you?" Barbara asked.  
>"I'm with Robin in the Batwing. We're on our way over Northern Gotham under the radar." Nightwing replied, "Has the hack worked? We're going to need a clear way in."<br>Oracle tapped some more keys.  
>"You'll have your way in," she said, "Dont worry."<p>

Barbara turned to the screen beside the main one and saw a rooftop moving underneath a hidden figure. Oracle muted her main communicator and activated the small one in her ear.  
>"O to BG, are you still on course?" Oracle asked, receiving a double-beep response in the affirmative. "Good, keep moving, you'll have to clear the way for N and R, they're coming in hot from the North."<br>Again she received a double-beep response and the figure began to scale the Arkham wall.

Oracle activated her main communicator again and listened in on the Tyger chatter while she wondered if she'd done the right thing handing down the Batgirl moniker...


	8. Archive Footage 2

Archive footage. Reel #301. 12/28/11 21:29:00s.

Archive label: "Bat-Crap Crazy"

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><p>The rooftops were hard, dirty, smelly, and damp. Her footsteps echoed around, louder than the bustle of traffic on the streets below. Jumping over walls, flying gracefully through the air, as black as the cloudy night-sky, only the yellow bat on her chest breaking that darkness.<br>Batgirl dropped to a roll as she landed and kept running, cape billowing out behind her as she pounded her feet into the floor, her breathing steady, although a little heavy. She had run from the historical district.  
>Cassandra Cain slowed and stopped running for a moment when she saw the lights and walls of Arkham City in the distance. She had seen reports of it on TV, and online, but nothing prepared her for it's vast-ness like she saw now. She heeard Barbara in her ear and began running again, diving down to a lower rooftop as she continued her unrelenting one-woman charge on Arkham to clear the way for Nightwing and Robin. She pressed a button on her cowl twice for an affirmative response.<br>She skidded down a slopped roof and leapt off at the lip, activating her cape and gliding across the elavated highway that ran through Gotham from Metropolis to Coast City.

Below people looked up and pointed at the black bat shape illuminated by the masses of headlights.  
>Cassandra landed and rolled back into her rooftop-fun-run. She took outher grapnel gun and aimed it up. This piece of equipment had been designed by Lucius Fox but modified by Oracle to make it faster, which suited Cain's style. Cassandra's breathing became heavier as she neared the wall, blending in to the dark night, unseen by her targets as she fired at the top of the wall. She rapelled up the 50-or-so feet to the top of the wall, activating the grapnell boost and taking off as she reached the wall's summit, startling a guard who happened to be facing the wrong way.<p>

"Huh?" He asked, turning and aiming his gun over the lip of the wallto search for kids throwing stones from a rooftop. It wouldnt be the first time, but it turned out they had been employed by Catwoman to offer a distraction and let her gain access to Arkham City.  
>"Wh-what's that?" A nearby guard yelled and brought up his gun at the descending shape above his colleague. He would have fired had his target not landed on his colleague's shoulders and thrown glowing batarang's at the other guards.<br>The first guard was taken down with a sharp twirl, slamming him to the floor, but the second guard had dodged the batarang and was shakingly aiming his gun at Batgirl. "Wh-what-?" He began but Batgirl used bat-bolas to wrapp around his ankles and top him over the side of the wall, securing the free end before he felt too far. "Ah! No! Let me up!" He yelled, scrabbling wildly but was unable to reach anything.

Batgirl turned and ran along to the guard tower near the end and dove through the window, covering her face with her cape as she deployed a smoke bomb which quickly filled the room with smoke, allowing her to take out the two guards with ease. The hole in the window drained the smoke quickly and she began working on fitting a new hack for Oracle so the automated security systems could be shut down. She glanced at the radar and saw a blip on it which was labelled as a U.A.F.O.; The Batwing.  
>She heard Oracle talking in her ear and heard a man's voice, evidentally Nightwing from the grittier sound; an older voice.<br>"Oracle, please tell me you're in?" He asked.  
>"Thirty seconds," Oracle replied, tapping at keys which filled Cassandra's ear piece.<br>"We dont have thirty seconds! I can see the anti-air turrets activating from here!" Nightwing said and Batgirl stepped from the room to see big guns standing and twirling around where they sat to follow the Batwing as it flew through the air.


	9. Archive Footage 3

Archive footage. Reel #301. 12/28/11 21:16:45s.

Archive label: "Flock of Birds."

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><p>Dick Grayson was on the rooftops, running and diving across, when he got the call from Oracle. The Bat Family was staging an all-point assault on Arkham City and Hugo Strange, and now he was travelling to the pick-up point in the centre of Bludhaven. He ran hard and fast, using his grapnel to soar between buildings as he often had under the Robin title. He skidded to a halt and saw the Batwing hovering over the next block.<br>Once he reached it he climbed inside and saw Robin in the pilot's seat. "I thought this had a remote pilot?" He asked the Boy Wonder.  
>Robin frowned, "It does." He muttered and climbed into the passenger seat behind Nightwing, who climbed into the pilot's seat and flicked off the auto-pilot before turning the joysticks and grinning.<br>"I remember the old one, flew that a few times too," Dick teased Tim, who just rolled his eyes.  
>"Let's go," Tim said with a hint of anxiety in his voice.<br>Dick cleared his throat and slammed down the throttle and the Batwing's new airlifting technology activated and pushed the Batwing along through the air. Robin looked down at the ground and frowned.

"You work here alone?" He asked Dick.  
>"I had a friend, once." Nightwing said, but remained otherwise silent as he piloted the Batwing across the state.<br>Soon they saw the lights of Gotham appear in the distance and straightened in their seats. Robin turned on the connection to the Bat-Computer and saw that Oracle still hadn't broken through the security system.  
>Nightwing had a short rant over the comms and Oracle promised them that they'd have a clear path into Arkham City one way, or another.<br>Robin looked up and saw them rapidly approaching the City wall.  
>"Thirty seconds." Oracle said.<br>"We don't have thirty seconds, I can see the anti-air turrets activating from here!" Dick practically yelled.  
>Robin peered over Dick's shoulder and he could actually see the huge missile launchers twirling and powering up.<br>"Goddamnit!" Oracle cursed as she was locked out of the system.

Dick let out a yell and activated the flares as two missiles were launched at them, twirling the Batwing up into the air.  
>The missiles, however, ignored the flares, letting them burn out as the missiles arched upwards to follow the Batwing.<br>"We may have to bail out," Dick announced and Robin blinked.  
>"Computer, activate auto-pilot and counter measures!" He said and flicked some switches. "Might not be allowed to fly it, doesn't stop me knowing some tricks."<br>A computerised female voice announced that the auto-pilot had been engaged and the controls locked up. Dick gritted his teeth as he tried to continue piloting the Batwing, his eyes kept glancing to the screens which showed how close the missiles were to reaching them.  
>"Activate countermeasures!" Robin barked and flicked a few switches on the panel in front of him. There was a burst of energy and the Batwing's afterburners ignited and pushed the aircraft further into the air, unleashing a wide stream of flame onto the rockets, igniting them.<br>"WARNING: ENGINE STALL IMMINENT." The computer said, flashing red warning signs across the screens.

"Tim!" Dick yelled.  
>Tim hammered the auto-pilot release but at that same moment the engines locked up and shut down.<br>They were almost into the cold silence of space, and Tim could feel it even through the glass and his gloves.  
>Outside of the aircraft there was nothing but silence for a few seconds, and then a small cry from Dick was heard cursing Tim before a sharp swishing sound was heard and the Batwing fell back to Earth.<br>He may have cried out, but after the initial shock of it passing Dick was all business, attempting to fire up the engines as Tim almost tried to restore the connection to the Bat Computer.  
>He gave a triumphant cry as the screens jumped back to life.<br>"WARNING: IMPACT IN T-MINUS TEN...NINE..." The computer said.  
>"Tim I hate you," Dick muttered and gave the floor a kick as he punched the ignition button with his thumb, and the Batwing's air turbines began to spin. The computers' countdown slowed, but not fast enough.<p>

With the huge wings at the front of the craft, the nose dropped forward.  
>"Has this rust-bucket got anything offensive?" Dick asked as he gripped the joysticks and tried to pull them back to level the Batwing.<br>Tim's jaw flapped. "E.M.P., radio scramblers, lance machine guns...torpedoes! We can use them to attack the missile turrets!"  
>Without waiting for Dick's response he began flicking switches around himself. Either side of the cockpit panels slid back to reveal spouts for the machine guns and torpedoes. Tim gripped his own joysticks and steadied them. "I can't get a clear shot." He said, staring daggers at the screens in front of him.<br>Dick swallowed and as soon as they were back within contact range he spoke aloud. "Oracle...you better give me some good news."  
>"I wish I could, Nightwing, but they've got a city's worth of firewalls and I'm though only most of them."<br>"So we're on our own?" Tim asked rhetorically. "Who the...?" He started when he saw something on the screen in front of him; a girl.

He didn't have time to continue the question before the turrets unleashed two more missiles towards them.  
>"...IMPACT IN T-MINUS THREE..."<br>Nightwing managed to turn the craft a little and Robin fired the machine guns until the first missile exploded.  
>Below them the bullets ripped into the concrete and metal around Cassandra as she ran for cover.<br>Nightwing pulled the joysticks up sharply and the engines kicked into overdrive; pulling the nose of the craft up and narrowly missing the lip of the wall, the second missile doubled-back and hit the wall, tearing down the missile turrets.  
>At this point Oracle cleared her throat and told them she had full access to the Arkham City network and had shut down all automated systems.<br>Nightwing regained control of the Batwing and set it down on the rooftop nearby.  
>"You were reckless." He scolded Robin as they climbed from the craft.<br>Robin nodded, "I know, I'm sorry." He said.  
>"Nonetheless, you saved our lives. Now let's find Bruce." Nightwing said, patting Robin's shoulder.<br>Robin nodded and unsheathed his extendable cane before following his friend across the Arkham City rooftops, closely followed by the mysterious newcomer.


	10. Archive Footage 4

Archive footage. Reel #310. 12/28/11 18:15:38s.

Archive label: "The Walls Have Eyes."

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><p>Alfred Pennyworth sat at the main computer terminal in the Batcave, watching his master, his employer, his friend, his substitute son eat his breakfast with an oddly excited appetite for someone who had suffered through such bad torment in a place such as Arkham City. In fact, this whole past year had been something else for master Bruce; capturing Joker and losing the Gotham City Courthouse, getting stuck on Arkham Island to play out the Joker's game, defeating already-captured foes such as Pamela Isley, Victor Zsasz, Jonathon Crane and Bane, alongside the Blackgate inmates under Joker's lead and the lunatics hidden by the Asylum walls and barred windows. Not to mention fighting a drug-enhanced Joker and his little girlfriend.<br>Then six months later, when Arkham City was nearing completion, Master Bruce had subjected himself to unerring investigations of Quincy Sharp, the city, and Sharp's mysterious puppeteer, now known to be Hugo Strange.

Of course Master Bruce had gone undercover into the city, as Lester Kurtz, to understand the atmosphere between the warring gangs led by Two Face, Joker and Penguin.  
>Then it happened, Bruce was captured and held as a prisoner himself, but he managed to get free into Arkham City somehow, and Alfred sent in the Batsuit, he hadn't heard much before Oracle logged on and Master Tim returned from a solo patrol of Gotham.<br>Now Alfred was watching Bruce, newly released from Arkham City, eat a steak with a surprising...animalistic quality.

Just a few hours earlier Alfred had asked; "Master Bruce, may I be excused for a personal duty?"  
>Bruce had looked up from his plate after a second's hesitation, as if not recognising his own name, and said "Hm? Oh, yes, sure." With a nod.<br>Alfred noted that this was extremely out of character for Bruce, and bowed a little before making his exit.  
>Alfred quickly made his way through the Manor gardens and down to the Wayne Family Crypt, a small mausoleum within the manor gardens that had shrines for Bruce's parents, as well as the sarcophagi of Bruce's further ancestors. One of these sarcophagi was a secret door, using a system of buttons across the "broken" stonework to reveal a passage into the Batcave.<br>He also had access to the Arkham City cameras and was watching the progress of Master's Richard and Tim, as well as the mystery woman wearing an altered Batgirl costume, similar to one he's designed for Barbara a few days before her...incident with the Joker.

He looked at the Manor CCTV footage, and studied the man closely on the monitor. The face of Bruce Wayne, the voice of Bruce Wayne. Even the prints of Bruce Wayne. But, Alfred had no doubt, the man in Wayne Manor, eating expensive meat flown in from the best British farms...was not Bruce Wayne.


	11. Archive Footage 5

Archive footage. Reel #340, 12/29/11 23:45:00s.

"Cats and Birds"

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><p>Nightwing and Robin looked at Wayne while he suited up. He hadn't lost much by being locked up in here, perhaps a tooth and some humanity, Dick surmised, not being a psychologist or expert doctor, it was hard to tell.<br>"Find Selina, get her out of here, I'm going to find Strange." Batman said, turning on his heel and running down the corridor.

Dick and Tim looked down at the case and Dick step a timer on it. They then looked at each other and ran down to the next corridor, Tim tossed a smoke bomb into the guard station and they both took out the guards sat there.  
>"We need to search the cells, Selina will be here somewhere." Dick said, his eyes skimming over the many CCTV sets showing the cells. Most of them were empty, one had a mass huddled on a bed, and two more had occupants, but he couldn't see Selina anywhere. He tapped at keys on the keyboard and green lights showed over door to show they'd been unlocked.<p>

Tim had already gone, pulling door's open everywhere he went and calling out for Catwoman.  
>Nightwing followed him down, overtaking him quickly. "Hey, this one's locked still..." He said, using his shoulder to try and budge it.<br>Robin looked up and over the door, and reached behind on his utility belt for Bruce's spare explosive gel gun, as well as his own. "Here, spray the hinges, I'll get the locks." He said and handed Dick the spare gel gun before making a start on the locks at the top and right side of the door.

Dick wasn't against violence, but the gadgets Batman & Robin used could be used for violence, what if Bruce wasn't in control? What if The Dark Knight wanted revenge on Strange for capturing him, and Selina?  
>After they'd got the door sprayed they both stepped back.<br>"Selina? Uh...Catwoman? If you can hear this, stay away from the door, we're going to blow our way in!" Tim called through and then looked at Dick before the both of them took cover.

Tim glanced over at Dick, who muttered "Fire in the hole..." And both of them pressed the plungers on the detonators.  
>Around the door miniature implosions occurred, blowing the locks and hinges to smouldering chunks of metal. The door fell outward towards them and leant against the wall in the corridor.<br>Both Bat-Boys ran towards the door, Nightwing jumped off the wall, swung on a light and slid down the door, rolling across the floor and coming to a stop before a broken Selina Kyle.  
>Robin leapt in after Nightwing and stood behind him.<p>

Half expecting trouble to be inside the room, Tim had his fists raised, two smoke bombs between the fingers of his left hand and his staff un-extended in his right. The scene that confronted them both, however, was silent, barring the sounds of gunfire outside. Selina was on a small bed in the corner of the room, bruises lined her arms from gripping fingers; her Catwoman uniform had been ripped in..._places_...and her usually pristine and seductive make-up were smeared down her cheeks. Her head slowly turned and looked at the boys with red eyes and dry blood on her lips.

Both Dick and Tim stared at her with their mouths hanging open. "Miss Kyle? It's time to go." Nightwing said, helping her to her feet.  
>Selina looked at Nightwing and then hopped forward on one leg with him. "Robin, help me here," Dick said as they reached the door.<br>Robin helped Nightwing carry Selina through the doorway and half way along the corridor, listening to the mayhem outside.  
>"Oracle? Where is Batman?" Dick asked.<p>

"I wish I could tell you, D...Nightwing," Oracle faltered, "He's been out of radio contact since he left you guys."  
>Dick and Tim exchanged worried looks.<br>"Let's get her to the Batwing, she can't fight anymore." Dick said, moments before the butt of a machine gun smashed into Dick's jaw, stunning him and causing him to trip over his own feet and go sprawling.  
>Robin turned to react but the guard grunted as a foot connected with his jaw and spun him head-first into the wall, knocking him out<p>

Selina looked down at Nightwing and helped him up, "Don't assume anything about me, Bird-Boy," she said.  
>Nightwing frowned, but Robin couldn't help but smirk.<br>"We need to get you out of here, Miss Kyle," Tim said.  
>Selina looked like she was going to argue but simply nodded. Dick turned and began to lead them through the maze of corridors, using his sonar-vision and specially placed tracers to help them find their way back.<p>

As they turned the corner into the central block; a huge room with rows of desks and computers, with a high, old fashioned ceiling similar to the ceiling of Wayne Manor's utility wing. In the centre of the room was a bit pillar with vents crossing through it and a small maintenance route big enough to just about stand up in. Dick pushed Robin and Catwoman back into the corner and looked at Tim, who nodded and sat Selina against the wall, starting to attend to her wounds, while Dick turned back to the doorway and lifted his arm, using his sonar vision to pick out a guard investigating a fallen colleague and shot him with a wrist dart, his cries and stunned gunshots into the plaster of a cubicle wall attracting the other guards around the room.

Dick watched them all start moving towards the far side of the room before stepping out and quickly grappling up to the corner of the room and looking down over them. He quickly grappled up to the centre column.

Selina pushed Robin's hands away, "I'm fine, kid...I'll...I'll live, okay?" She said, and Robin could hear the tone in her face, and he'd never heard Catwoman stutter before. He nodded slightly and peered around the corner to see Dick take down a guard from above, feet landing squarely on his shoulders, causing him to go down quickly. Nightwing then turned to the last guard and beat him senseless, using the guards' own knife to pin him to the wall.

Tim stood and stepped into the room, startling Dick into blindly throwing a Wingding at him, but Tim, thanks to years of training, managed to take a step back before it hit him. He yanked it out of the wall and looked it over.  
>"Huh...heavy duty." He said.<br>"Gets the job done," Dick countered, "Let's get going," he added as he walked over to Tim and Selina and helped Selina back to her feet again.  
>Dick went to her left side while Tim helped her from the right side.<p>

Together they walked through the cubicles towards the door on the other side of the room, when an alarm started to blare around them.  
>Tim turned on his detective vision and saw they'd tripped a fail-safe laser. Dick turned to Tim and both of them began to drag Selina towards the exit. Then they saw it, a metal grate sliding down the doorway slowly, but with increasing speed, Nightwing flung Catwoman and Robin towards it and they both rolled underneath before it slammed shut.<p>

Tim quickly stood up and tried to lift the grate, grunting uselessly and not budging it an inch.  
>"Don't bother, its pure steel," Nightwing said, on the other side of the grate.<br>"What about you? How will you get out?"  
>"I'll find Batman, we'll get out, you get Selina back to the cave, get her rested up," Dick said and then turned and ran across the room, jumping and using his grapnel gun to propel himself into the vent at the top of the pillar.<br>Tim watched and then helped Selina up, "Come on...we gotta go," he said and helped her along to the Batwing.


	12. Archive Footage 6

Archive footage. Reel #359, 12/30/11 00:00:00s.

Archive label: "Ambush"

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><p>Robin helped Catwoman waddle through the corridors, narrowly avoiding the odd guard running across the end of the corridor to assist his colleagues outside. Soon enough they made it outside, and Robin held Selina as he grappled up to the roof of a building.<br>"Don't get any ideas, stud-lett." Selina said and Robin rolled his eyes a little. "Come on, the Batwing is just through here," he said, helping her along, but stopped when he saw some thugs coming towards them.  
>"Hey, looks like the Cat caught herself a bird for dinner!" One yelled, and the others leered at the state of Catwoman's uniform, showing flesh which Robin assumed they hadn't seen since being locked up here.<br>"We got a barbeque for ya, birdy." A second one muttered and lunged at the two of them, but Robin side stepped, propping Selina against a wall as he retrieved his staff from its holster.  
>"I know how this looks, but I don't want to fight you." Robin said, causing the thugs to laugh.<br>"Kid, we was beatin' up the Bat for the boss before you could walk." A third, cocky, thug laughed.

Robin cracked his neck slightly and tightened his grip on the staff before dropping a smoke pellet and moving off to attack the nearest guard, standing back-to-back with the staff under the thug's neck as Robin pulled the thug over his shoulder and kicked him in the head to knock him out. Some of the thugs started flailing their arms, in some vain attempt to clear the smoke or hit Robin. They were all coughing and spluttering, while Tim managed to take down another thug before the smoke cleared, leaving three of them left, fists raised.  
>Robin smirked, "Look..." He said, "No hands!" He said and sprung forward, catching the first thug off-guard, making him yell out as he went down, Robin fired the line-launcher at his foot as he tumbled over the small buttresses and over the side, simultaneously tossing two Bat-a-rangs at the other thugs, one dodged it and charged at Robin, while the other was caught in the temple and went down, Catwoman wrapped her thighs around his neck and waited until he stopped struggling.<br>The last thug tackled Robin down, and began bringing his fists down on Boy-Wonder-the-third*****.

Catwoman got up and approached the last thug, tapping him on the shoulder before punching him, not as hard as she could have, and making him roll off Robin across the rooftop.  
>Robin jumped up and stood beside Catwoman as the thug stood, "You want this one?" Robin asked.<br>"Throw me," Selina said, glancing at.  
>"You have me confused with the big-blue..." Robin said, but turned and gripped her uniform as she backed up a little.<br>Meanwhile the thus was watching from behind his clown mask, tilted his head in confusion.  
>As Catwoman ran forward and jumped, Robin powerfully lifted her and threw her through the air.<br>The thug lifted his arms to protect himself but Catwoman's boots slipped through his arms; one to his chest and the other to his face.  
>Robin's eyebrow rose, "That was cool..." He said, helping her up, "Did you work on that with Batman?"<br>Catwoman stood and looked at Robin, "Used it on him a few times, but he always saw it coming. The last-you on the other hand...*****" she said.  
>Robin smiled slightly and held her up as they began walking again. He could see the Batwing sat on the roof ahead of them and chewed his lip as they made their way towards it.<p>

*** For those who are unaware; Tim Drake is the third Robin, after Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Stephanie Brown became the fourth Robin, while Damien Wayne (son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul) is the fifth and current Robin.**


	13. Archive Footage 7

**A/N 1: So here is the latest written update, and to be honest, I'm not so proud of it...but it's a loose end that needs tying up, who better than the manservant? **

Archive footage. Reel #347, 12/29/11 23:50:06s.

Archive label: "Pest Control"

* * *

><p>Alfred carried the tray up the stairs towards Master Bruce's bedroom, listening for clear signs of anything out of the ordinary. He heard nothing, but paused outside Bruce's door, listening. He checked the tray once more, it posed as a plate of food and some medication, but actually held something far more lethal under the silver lid. He clearded his throat and opened the door.<br>"Master Bruce, your late supper, and some medication for the headaches, sir." He announced, noticing the bathroom door was ajar.  
>"Fantastic, Al, set her on down beside the bed." Bruce replied, his tone forced, almost pained.<br>Alfred did as he was told and lifted the silver lid to lift a Colt 1911 from it. He had already checked the ammunition so he felt it would be unnecessary to re-check it as he stepped towards the door.

Through the gap in the door, he could make out his Master in the reflection of the mirror, seemingly checking how his wounds were healing. Alfred was about to step away when he saw Bruce's hand come up, holding a sewing needle...sewing up the scars that lines sections of his face.  
>Alfred pushed the door open slightly and lifted the gun towards his intended target, and moved to pull the trigger but it seemed as though Bruce was ready for it, and moved out of the way, causing the bullet to impact into the mirror, shattering it.<br>Alfred backed away from the door, running towards the tray to pick up the spare magazines before whirling to see an angry Frankstein-esque brute coming towards him with a needle hanging from his battered and bruised face.

"Scared, Al?" He growled, pulling two matching Colt's from a coat hanging near the bathroom door and cocking them.  
>Alfred cocked his own gun, while behind his back his hand gripped the tray.<br>They stared each other down in silence, Bruce holding his guns at his sides, a sick smile on his face, while Alfred had his slightly raised, pointing towards Bruce's feet. The manservant's face, however, was calm. He suddenly hurled the tray towards Bruce, who brought his hands up to protect himself, grunting when the heavy tray hit him.  
>Alfred took the chance and ran out of the room and down the staircase towards the main hall and down along the landing towards the armory doors. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw Bruce following him, guns raised, his face torn and hanging at the left cheek from where the tray hit him.<br>"I have to admit, I was surprised it took you this long to figure it out!" Bruce yelled after his manservant as he charged along the landing towards the stairs.

Alfred threw open then flew through the threshold and kicked the door shut. He turned on his heel and as quickly as possible connected together a device that he had fitted to ward-off tresspassers; a miniature bomb. Not strong enough to deal any major damage, but enough to stun a man for a significant amount of time to, say, lock him in a cell in the Batcave.  
>Alfred ran back into the room and grabbed a big machine gun, aiming it at the door just in case the bomb proved inaffective. There were heavy footsteps outside the door, getting louder until they stopped, then a voice spoke, different from before. "You're a fool, y'know that? You just ran into a dead end," as he spoke these words, the doorhandles turned and began to swing open, "You're making it too easy."<br>Then, there it was. Click.  
>'Bruce' looked confused for a moment, through the crack between the doors, but then he was illuminated and shrouded by a white flash, which Alfred remembered to look away for. There was a boom, and then a showering noise, wind rushing past Alfred, then finally silence.<p>

Alfred looks up at the smouldering hole where the doors used to stand, and cautiously approached, raising the machine gun once more towards the door.  
>Ahead of him, laying in a slump on the floor, was 'Bruce.' Unmoving, and silent.<br>Alfred lowered the gun slightly and kicked the body onto his back, and saw the face had been burnt back to reveal the remaints of skin and some charred flesh. Still breathing, good. He hoisted the large body onto his shoulder and made his way down to the Cave.  
>He laid the body on the table and secured him. He swabbed and poked at the body, then had the computer run tests. He waited the short while before the computer spat the name onto the screen. "Thomas Elliot."<p>

He frowned as he read the name aloud. Bruce's childhood friend, who had blamed Bruce's father for being unable to save his own parents lives.  
>He dragged Elliot's body through the cave and into a cell, programming the cell to lock behind him after leaving Eilliot inside.<br>There was a noise from the main cave chamber and Alfred looked up to see the Batwing glide in through a chute in the wall and touch down on a landing pad, big metal feet unfolding from the body of the craft. The cockpit's glass slid back and down into the metal body as Master Tim helped Catwoman from the craft.

**A/N 2: Sorry for the wait on this chapter, folks, I hope you can forgive me for it? :3 What's in store for the future? You'll just have to wait, come back, and see for yourselves!**


	14. Archive Footage 8

**A/N1: Is there anyone still here? If you are, thank you for hanging around to wait for this chapter! I'm between writing this and an big Avengers fic...But here we have just a small teaser before the big showdown between Batman and Strange...it's gonna be a bumpy one! **

Archive footage. Reel #350, 12/30/11 00:11:00s.

Archive label: "Bat's In The Tower"

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><p>Batman had made his way through the unoccupied building and onto the roof. He looked around at the chaos, Protocol 10 had obviously been put into effect after the seige on Arkham City. Helicopters cirlced above and across the city, he could just make out the lights of a lift racing up Wonder Tower.<br>Batman grimaced and looked down at the small computer on his gauntlet. He input a few commands and calculated a path to Wonder Tower. Approxiamtely 4 and a half blocks. He looked up again and started jogging over the rooftops.  
>He found he was having trouble holding his breath steady, but coped with it as he approached the lip of the roof and withdrew his grapnell gun from his belt and aimed it high, towards one of the T.Y.G.E.R. choppers passing by. The whirr was loud, as was the whistling of the wind as it passed Batman's ears. He released the grapnel line as he reached the underside of the helicopter and grabbed a hold of the feet, wrapping his legs around the thick metal pole to keep himself there as he surveyed the scene below.<p>

Suddenly there was a series of explosions from the building Bruce had been on only moments before, stretching along the four-block distance to Wonder Tower. Strange had destroyed the path, obviously not realising that he'd left the building already. Bruce took a moment to think of Nightwing and Robin, hoping they'd made it out before the structure had gone up in smoke. He shook himself and let go of the chopper, activating the para-cape as he glided along over the fire, using it to keep himself aloft, steadily gaining height as he glided towards Wonder Tower. He smirked darkly when he heard scared gasps from below as guards saw the bat shape glide quickly over them.  
>It took only minutes for Batman to reach the tower, losing his altitude and crash-landing (with his usual grace) into the tower, rolling over his shoulder to stop at a crouch in the darkness. He activated the night vision in his cowl and looked around. He saw nothing, and stood up, out of his defensive crouch. He walked forward, towards the elevator shaft and pulled open the doors with the multi-point claw, using batarangs to secure the doors.<br>He paused here, and looked up the shaft, his cowl zooming onto the closed steel door at the very top, meaning he'd have to find another way into the room.

He looked down and accessed the bat-computer remotely on his wrist-computer, but the newest blue-prints were 30 years old. He frowned and looked into the elevator shaft again and began to climb slowly, find various cracks and lips of metal to hold onto as he climbed.  
>There was a noise, loud and reverberating in the shaft towards him. He took a glance down and couldnt see the bottom, but looked up and saw the steel doors pulling back to show the bottom of the elevator car as it slid towards him.<br>He climbed quicker, noticing a ventilation cover across from him, on the other side of the shaft. He took out the multi-point claw again and fired it at the grate as he used a motorised pulley on his belt to pull it down, and leapt at the hole in the metal. Grunting, he pulled himself inside, miliseconds before the elevator slid past steadily. He took a breath, and smelt the horrible smell of dank metal and stale air. He slid out of the shaft again and contiuned his climb, but faster this time as he knew the elevator car would be coming back up for sure.

As he neared his goal, he noticed yet another grate covering a ventilation system, but this time the grate simply fell away, and he clambered inside to once-again find the smell of old metal and stale air. He took slow breaths as he traversed the tight, confusing space within the Tower, until he heard the unmistakable sound of Hugo Strange barking orders at his brainwashed thugs. Batman managed to shimmy his way up a vent so he had a good view of Strange, who had locked himself in an office, of sorts, and the thugs moving around boxes to barricade the elevator doors.  
>Batman opened the vent, using a batarang to pry it away from the wall. He pulled a smoke pellet from his belt-pouch and tossed it towards the group of thugs below, near the doors.<br>"What the-!" Cried one before he started coughing with the rest.  
>"Batman!" Strange roared as Batman dove onto the group, incapacitating most of them before disappearing into the shadows. The remaining three guards looked around sharply, aiming their guns into the higher parts of the rooms. Batman narrowed his eyes and withdrew a smaller device, he activated the alternate mode on his cowl, trained the crosshair onto an armed guard and pressed the button on the device.<p>

A very quiet but high-pitched whine issued and then beeped twice, signalling that the gun had suffered a very tiny but effective EMP blast, rendering it useless. He smirked and trained the crosshair on the next thug, but he moved out of range and around a corner. Batman scowled and climbed up the wall towards a vent and slid inside. He managed to climb along it, ignoring the stale air, and dropped down onto two of the thugs, the last one being the one with the broken gun, who tried to fire it uselessly at Batman.  
>"Mercy!" He yelled before Batman slammed him into the wall, knocking him out.<br>There was a dark chuckle and Batman turned to see Hugo Strange standing two feet behind reinforced glass.  
>"Welcome, Mister Wayne, to the Penthouse floor," he said.<br>Batman glanced around, trying to find a way in. "What is it you want, Strange?" He asked.  
>Strange smiled thinly, "Order."<br>"Through chaos?" Batman spat.  
>"Yes!" Strange said, "If that is how it has to be done, I shall do what you never could, I shall rid Gotham of crime and make this city pure!" He cried.<p>

Batman could hear the words, but they weren't spoken in Strange's voice. No. To Batman's ears, those were the words of Ra's Al Ghul.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2: I wanted to say something...but I forgot it when I finally sat down to write it...if you're still here, please R&R to sound off!**


	15. Archive Footage 9

Archive footage. Reel 351, 12/30/11 00:18:56s.

Archive label: "Protocol Flight"

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><p>Batman stared daggers at Strange, who was rubbing his hands together and giggling maniacally.<br>"What's he poisoned your mind with, Strange?" Batman asked.  
>Strange stopped giggling and cursed, "What!"<br>"Did you forget?" Batman asked, "You already told me who your 'master' is..."  
>Strange's jaw dropped, "What? No! I can't have...that's not possible!" He roared.<br>Batman watched him, then took out his gel gun and sprayed a wide amount across the glass, and dove out of the way as he detonated it...with no result.  
>Strange laughed, "No such luck Batman. This glass is four inches thick and made by the very same company who builds the President's limousine."<p>

Batman looked around, searching for a way into the room. Strange turned and began tapping away at the keys on a computer terminal as Batman noticed a smaller terminal at the doors, locking him out from Strange. He took out the sequencer from his belt and activated the signal, searching for the correct signal. He twirled the dials and found the correct sequence of letters and numbers and the doors slid open.  
>"It's over Strange," Batman said as he stood and approached the open doors, "I'm going to stop you."<br>Strange began to laugh once more, a sound that was beginning to make Batman angry. "You can't stop it now," he said and launched himself at Batman with an animalistic roar.

Batman dropped into a more defensive stance and caught Strange as he was tackled, rolling down onto his back and throwing Strange off him. He quickly rolled back onto his feet, cape billowing.  
>Strange got to his feet and grinned at Batman.<br>Batman stared at Strange, analysing him. The smile was unnerving, clearly a psychological stimulant for his victims, his appearance also left an air of the psychological about him, his fighting style, though the remainder of it was yet to be seen, told Batman that Strange was a thinker, not a "do-er." That much had become apparent during Batman's captivity here.

Batman stared at Strange for a long time. And it was starting to unnerve Strange.  
>"Computer!" He called aloud, "Activate Protocol's 10 and 11." He said.<br>Batman dove at Strange and tackled him to the floor. "Shut it down!" He growled.  
>Strange laughed, "Passcode -!" He was cut off by Batman's punch, before the Dark Knight got up and ran to the computer to manually shut the system down.<br>"Passcode: Wayne!" Strange cried before coughing up blood and a few broken teeth.  
>"Oracle, Strange has activated Protocol 10, get this city evacuated <em>now!<em>" Batman barked as he began tapping the keyboard.  
>"Lockdown!" Strange yelled and the system was shut off from Batman's administrations. A countdown appeared on the screen and Batman whirled on Strange. "Shut it down!" Batman roared again, before running towards Strange and tackling him out of the window.<p>

The wind was cold this high up, colder than Batman remembered from only a few minutes previously, as he and Strange tumbled through it, fighting for a higher position to inflict some pain on their adversary. Batman noted the ground was rising towards them fast and gripped Strange's collar, ignoring the psychotic doctor's roars at him as he activated his para-cape and began to glide down towards the surface.  
>The extra weight of carrying Strange meant their descent was faster than Batman would have preferred, and together they crashed to a landing on the roof of the Gotham City Radio building, rolling through the dirt and snow.<p>

Strange was the first on his feet, almost eagerly as he disrobed his battered medical coat.  
>Batman slowly climbed to his feet, trying to regain communication with Oracle, Alfred, Nightwing or Robin but receiving nothing but static. He looked towards Strange but the main was gone, but the sound of his footsteps remained.<br>Batman cautiously stepped forward, activating the thermal imaging in his cowl, which, after a flicker, snapped into view. But there was nothing. He turned a full 180 degrees and couldn't react fast enough to the orange skull looming down on him, raising a barrel over his head, which he brought down on Batman's head, disabling the thermal vision and disorientating Batman as Strange smashed an experimental smoke grenade into Batman's chest and pushing them off the roof, onto the helicopter landing pad outside the abandoned toy factory.

Batman grunted with the impact, and then again when the smoke grenade exploded, shrouding the two men in thick black smoke.  
>There was the soft sound of a whirr, and Nightwing landed with hardly a sound nearby, watching the clouds as they dispersed to reveal...two Batmen, glaring defiantly at each other.<p> 


	16. Archive Footage 10

Archive footage. Reel 352, 12/30/11 00:42:28s

Archive label: "A Dark Night for the Dark Knight."

All around the area was still, and the only sounds were coming from the two men standing before Nightwing on the heli-pad. The acrobat stared in shock at the sight, and despite himself and everything that had happened that evening...found himself unable to tell the two apart.  
>"Batman?"<br>"Nightwing, stay back!" One Batman called.  
>"Nightwing, ignore him! That's Strange!" the other Batman warned.<br>"No, Nightwing, I'm Batman," the first one spoke again, which was met with a fist from the second, launching them into a brawl.

"O, you there?" Nightwing asked, watching in fear.  
>"<em>I'm here, Nightwing, what's up?<em>"  
>"Are you seriously not seeing this?" Nightwing asked and he heard the familiar clacking of keys as she accessed the Arkham City network, courtesy of that mysterious woman in Barbara's old suit.<br>"_My God..._" Oracle was shocked as well.  
>"Any idea how to tell them apart?" Nightwing asked, "I'd really rather prefer <em>not<em> siding with the wrong one..." He said.  
>In the clock tower, Barbara silently agreed, the alternative was unbearable to think of, especially for her.<br>Nightwing waited patiently for a response.  
>"<em>I'll do my best. O out for now.<em>" She replied eventually and Dick Grayson went back to studying the two men's movements, watching for familiarities in the fighting.

He narrowed his eyes and activated his night vision, the skeletons of the men glowed slightly brighter than everything else but he couldn't make out differences that might help him distinguish Bruce from Strange. Both were dressed in identical bat suit's, and seemed to have a more-or-less identical armory attached to their belts. He leant slightly closer, able to smell the powder from Strange's smoke grenade in the air as there was a crack in the night and a bullet zipped past his head.  
>"First one's a warning!" A voice called and Nightwing ducked into the shadows of the toy factory sign.<br>"Oracle? I'm under fire, someone's covering the fight and I can't locate him, you got any eyes over here?" He asked as he slunk towards the far side of the factory sign, producing a smoke grenade that Alfred had supplied as spares in the Batwing, Dick had helped himself to a handful.

He dropped one at his feet then grappled up to a higher vantage point, pretty much invisible against the night.  
>Dick surveyed the surrounding buildings, searching for movement, which was difficult through the smoke from burning buildings, but soon enough, Oracle spoke again. "<em>I've hacked into the nearby cameras and I found him, he's 400 feet north of you.<em>"  
>Dick nodded a little and his eyes narrowed, the domino mask zoomed in and scanned the nearby buildings before he began to move across them, then, he saw it, the gentle sweeping arc of the laser guide. It was scanning for movement, for Nightwing.<p>

Nightwing waited for the almost-invisible beam of red light to sweep past and climbed up onto the rooftop and ran to the nearest cover, a chimney stack. Unfortunately, Dick's plan didn't quite work as he knocked a few tiles from the chimney stack which shattered against the floor.  
>The beam whipped back to the stack and there was a spray of bullet fire.<p>

Back at the heli-pad Batman #1 and Batman #2 were still warring it out. Fists pounded into armoured torsos and hands pulled at each other to try and catch their opponent off-guard. Batman #1 grunted and pushed his foe against the wall, and punched him in the face. He grimaced in a very "Batman" way and raised his fists with small grin.  
>Batman #2 huffed a little and stood up straighter, his back cracking loudly. He then raised his own fists and grimaced in return to the grin. They began to "dance," one Bat threw a punch, and the other ducked out of the way, then the second Bat would throw a punch, and his foe would jump backwards to avoid it.<br>Neither of them said a thing, they were both caught up in the fight.

Nightwing took a deep breath.  
>"I know you're there, boy," the TYGER guard muttered loud enough for Dick to hear.<br>Dick swallowed and grabbed another smoke grenade, kissing it gently as he calculated where the guard was from the angle and sweep of his laser-guide, and threw the grenade.  
>Seconds turned into years before he heard the impact of the grenade and the surprised yell of the TYGER guard.<br>Nightwing stood quickly and hurled himself over the chimney stack, running forward, and to the left, hoping to surprise the assassin.  
>He could see him dancing in the smoke, trying to clear it so he could kill the former Boy Wonder.<p>

Nightwing crouched nearby as the smoke cleared, retrieving his escrima sticks from the shoulder holsters and launched through the air, charging the sticks up and slamming them down, causing all the electrical items the guard held to short out, rending him unarmed.  
>"What? No wait!" He said but Nightwing delivered the knock-out blow.<br>He turned back towards the toy factory and began running back towards it.

The fight between the Batman had raged and flowed, punches being delivered and blocked by both parties until they noticed Nightwing approaching again.  
>Batman #1 threw a desperate punch and caught Batman #2 square on the jaw, knocking him backwards, but the Dark Knight came back with a shift sliding kick, knocking the other Dark Knight to his backside in the dirt with a grunt.<br>"Oracle!" Dick asked into his communicator.  
>"<em>I'm working on it, you need to try and separate them!<em>"  
>"Batman!" Dick yelled and jumped down between them, causing them both to jump backwards slightly. Dick raised his escrima sticks warningly. In his ears he could hear Oracle tapping away at keys.<br>"_Almost got it..._" Oracle said quietly.  
>Dick looked between them, in the semi-darkness it was hard to tell the difference even up close. The injuries he could remember on Bruce's face were lost among new ones, both suits were battered, dirty and ripped from fighting. They all stared at each other. "Now." Dick said, "Let's work this out like adults, huh?"<p> 


	17. Archive Footage 11

**A/N: Confused on which is the real Batman?...Me too.**

Archive footage. Reel 353, 12/30/11 00:58:48s

Archive label: "Confusion in Darkness."

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><p>The conversation didn't get much further. At that precise moment the doors of the toy factory burst open...and Bane stood before them, the bright lights from inside cast him into a silhouette, nearly blinding the three costumed men.<br>"Batman!" Bane growled as he advanced forward, roughly pushing Nightwing out of his way. "Get out of my way, acrobat!" He yelled and grabbed the nearest Batman, while the other dove out of the way, rolling to a stop and gritting his teeth.  
>Bane raised Batman over his head and roared. "I will break you all!" He yelled.<br>The other Batman looked over at Nightwing and retrieved his charge gun, which clipped into place in three steps. Nightwing nodded and grabbed the nearest escrima stick from the floor and threw it at Bane, while Batman fired off a shot from the REC gun.  
>The stick hit Bane first, knocking the big brute off-balance, causing the electrical charge to miss it's intended target.<p>

Bane dropped Batman to the ground and rounded on the other Batman, swinging his fists wildly at Batman, knocking chunks of stone from the wall behind him as Batman leapt over Bane, spraying a small amount of explosive gel onto his shoulder. Nightwing ran forward and embedded a detonator into the gel and took over as Batman detonated the gel, knocking Bane forward and smashing his skull against the bricks.  
>Everyone remained silent as they watched Bane rise to his feet and turn again.<br>"Batman, you imprisoned me and destroyed the Titan!_My_ Titan!" He yelled angrily and looked at the two Batmen, admittedly undecided for which man to lung at first.  
>Both Batmen glared at each other for a few seconds before the sound of a smoke grenade went off and black smoke filled the area.<p>

Bane growled and more Venom pumped into his body as he rounded on Nightwing instead and roared as he reached out to grab the acrobat, who ducked under Bane's large arm and swung onto the brute's back, whooping and yahoo-ing like a cowboy on a rodeo machine as Bane tried to throw him off.  
>Meanwhile in the smoke, both Batmen fought in the smoke, and eventually one was thrown out at Bane, knocking him head-first into the wall again.<br>Nightwing back-flipped off of Bane as the larger man straightened again, and turned on both Batmen, who took Batarang's from their belt and readied them. Nightwing gritted his teeth, still unable to tell which was the real Bruce.

Batman #1 gripped his Batarang tightly, and Batman #2 had already drawn his Batarang over his shoulder as if he was going to throw it.  
>Bane growled again, "Why did you take my Titan, Batman!" He asked, sounding to Nightwing like a whiney child.<br>Batman #1 answered; "Titan is a poison, Bane." He said, "There's no way you'd survive that."  
>Bane was unsatisfied with this answer and charged for him. Batman #1 threw his Batarang but it bounced uselessly off Bane's muscular chest. Bane picked him up by the neck, strangling him.<br>Batman #2 caught eyes with Nightwing and threw his Batarang into the air. It curved up and down towards the back of Bane's neck. Nightwing reacted within a second and turned on the batteries in his escrima stick and threw it, timing it perfectly so both projectiles hit Bane's Venom pump, the shocks from the escrima stick carried through into the Batarang, increasing the charge through the remote control function, and sending volts through Bane's body. Not enough to kill him, only enough to send a normal man in small convulsions, but enough to stop Bane for several moments. Enough time for Batman #2 to charge forward and launch his feet squarely into Bane's stomach and chest, knocking the wind from him and causing the huge steroid pumping villain to black out.

Batman #1 tumbled to the floor. "Why!" He roared, and Batman #2 pulled his mask off. Hugo Strange looked scared, and almost like he was sulking. He glared up at the former dynamic duo in disgust. "This is nothing! It is merely the beginning of the end, Batman!" He said.  
>"I don't think so. I'll stop your Master, and you'll be rotting from Blackgate Prison." Batman said.<br>"And you'll be_very_ popular over there." Nightwing teased.  
>Hugo looked around, and then started laughing maniacally again.<br>Batman frowned.  
>"My master will open the gates of hell and unleash a darkness on Gotham." Strange said, "And a fire, a force from hell, shall purge this city." He said and suddenly smoke surrounded him.<br>Batman jumped forward, trying to clear the smoke but realised the League of Assassin's had collected him.

Batman straightened and looked at Nightwing. "Selina...?"  
>"She's safe. She's a bit bruised but...she's okay. Robin returned her to the cave...I thought it would be the safest option." Dick replied.<br>Batman nodded. "The League have something planned." He said, "I wouldn't be surprised if this reaches back to Joker's rampage on city hall before the Arkham Incident last year." Batman said, and Nightwing nodded.  
>They both turned and looked at the damage done to Arkham City. As they re-holstered their weapons and made sure Bane was secure, the Batwing landed nearby to await them.<p> 


	18. Archive Footage 12

Archive footage. Reel 355, 12/30/11 00:58:48s

Archive label: "Bat In The System."

As she traversed through the labyrinth of corridors, Cassandra Cain continuously glanced left and right, keeping a watchful eye for attackers lurking in the shadows.  
>"<em>Three yards ahead, turn left.<em>" Barbara's voice said into her ear. Batgirl responded with the double-tap response and did as she was told, turning left into the dark corridor. The cowl flashed into night vision and she could clearly see the corridor before her.  
>"Get a good look 'round, boys," a voice said. "This is the gold mine of Arkham City."<br>"_That voice sounds familiar. Be careful Batgirl, we may have some unexpected company._"  
>Once again, Cassandra responded with the double-tap response as she slowed her feet and peered into the room, night vision deactivating automatically in the presence of light.<p>

Inside the room, thugs wearing black and white suits, sewn together down the middle and horrid masks with a melted side were searching through filing cabinets.  
>"We want whatever information the infamous Hugo Strange had, this city will be ours and that bastard Penguin will have nowhere to run, now the Joker's dealt with..." An unseen man said. There was a twinkle of metal, the gentle ring of it held in the air until it hit soft leather. There was a chuckle.<br>Inside the room, Two-Face, formerly Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent was sat in Hugo Strange's big leather office chair. Twirling a gun on his finger and his coin in the air. His thugs continued searching through the filing cabinets for information that would interest their boss.  
>"<em>Looks like Two-Face beat us here.<em>"  
><em>Us?<em> Cassandra thought.  
>"<em>We can only assume he's searching for Strange's secrets. You have to stop him. I'll cut the power and you sneak inside.<em>" Oracle said into her ear.

Cassandra responded with the double-tap again and suddenly the lights went out.  
>"What the -!" Someone yelled and the night vision reactivated as Batgirl dove into the room, doing a cartwheel through two thugs and kicking them sharply in the head to take them down. They both crumpled to the floor and Two-Face fired into the darkness. Cassandra ducked under a table and lifted it with her shoulder, tossing it over towards Two-Face and knocking him to the floor with a strangulated yell.<br>"_Batgirl, you need to take down Dent and find those files!_"  
>Cassandra ignored this.<br>"_Oh no, the building's back-up generator is overriding my hack, I'm losing my connection..._"  
>This made Cassandra worry, but a few seconds later she heard the lights go back up and shut her eyes against the light as the night vision turned off.<p>

There was a loud clunk, and a chuckle. "Well whatda we have here...?" Two Face smiled darkly, aiming his revolver at her head.  
>Cassandra opened her eyes and slowly turned her head to look at him. The faceless mask visibly unnerved Two-Face, and he stepped backwards.<br>"Well, hello, little bat," Harvey said and cocked his gun, aiming it at Cassandra's head. "Heads or tails?" He asked with a sick grin.  
>Cassandra lashed out quickly, and punched Two-Face's wrist, causing his hand to jar and clench as it moved above Cassandra's head and fired uselessly at a wall.<br>Harvey backed away, having dropped his gun and was now holding his broken wrist. "You bitch!" He growled, but took off out of the door.

"_Well done, Ca-B.G,_" Oracle said into her ear. "_I don't think Strange would have kept important files on a computer or in a filing cabinet. Try to find a safe._"  
>Cassandra responded with the double-tap beep again and began searching, ripping the office apart as Two-Face's goons came-too, but played dead.<br>The safe was located behind an imposing portrait for Strange himself, and required a 12-digit passcode. Batgirl placed a device over the computer panel and heard Oracle tapping away at the keyboard in her ear.  
>The safe cracked open and swung freely on well-oiled hinges. On the shelf in the safe was a flash drive and a ring-binder of papers.<br>"_That's it. Now get out of there, B.G._"  
>Cassie double-tapped again and took off, her cape billowing out behind her.<p> 


	19. Archive Footage 13

Archive footage. Reel #357.12/30/11 01:38:00s

Archive label: "Bat-Rage."

* * *

><p>The Bat-Cave was usually a quiet and peaceful place. The occasional screeching of bats or of Bruce and Tim training in the gym.<br>Right now, however, a very angry Batman was scolding the other members of the Bat Family for waging such a reckless and almost hopeless siege on Arkham City.  
>"You charged in, putting people at risk!" He yelled through gritted teeth at Nightwing and Robin, pacing up and down in front of the central computer, on which Oracle and the mysterious new Batgirl could be seen.<br>Across the room, Selina was slumped in a chair, unconscious.  
>"<em>Ahem.<em>" Oracle started, "_Batman, I_-"  
>"I'm not on you yet." Batman said, his voice calm, staring at Nightwing and Robin. "Your plan, while it may have been effectively executed, was sloppy, you could've gotten yourselves killed." He growled.<p>

At this point both Nightwing and Robin both looked rather sorry for themselves, but Tim spoke up in a tone he'd only heard from Jason, "We just wanted you back, you're our father," he said.  
>Batman sighed quietly and just shook his head, "Oracle," he growled.<br>"_Batman, before you launch into one_," she started, and Batman gritted his teeth, "_Robin is right, without you we know how to survive but with you we know how to live,_" she said, "_You taught us everything we know..._" She said.  
>Batman scowled. "Nonetheless, you endangered the life of..." He trailed off, "This new Batgirl," he said. "That was foolish, I expected as much from Robin, maybe even Nightwing."<br>"Hey!" Nightwing cut in, but was cut down by a glare from Batman.  
>"I want her here for training," Batman said and cut the line, then walked past his crime-fighting allies and went to Selina, managing to rouse her.<p>

"Selina," he said, gently shaking her shoulders.  
>"Hm-eow?" Selina mumbled and looked at Batman. "What am I doing here?" She asked lazily, "Where is 'here'?" She asked, sitting up.<br>Batman smiled lightly, "You're in my cave. You're safe, Selina." He said.  
>She smiled a little, "'Safe'" she repeated.<br>Batman nodded, "No one will get you in here." He said, meaning every word.  
>"So how long can I stay?" She asked hesitantly.<br>Batman stared at her for a long time, then looked over his shoulder at Nightwing and Robin, who were both watching solemnly. He eventually looked back to Selina and slowly pulled at his cowl.  
>"B-Batman!" robin said, but Nightwing put a hand on his shoulder.<br>"He knows what he's doing." He told the Boy Wonder, to which Robin sighed quietly.  
>"But what if it doesn't work?"<p>

Selina watched like an inquisitive cat as Batman removed his cowl, revealing Bruce's broken and scratched face. His eyes flickered open and he looked into Selina's.  
>Selina gasped. "B-Bruce...?" She asked, and looked towards Nightwing and Robin, but they were gone. Bruce pulled Selina into his arms and told her she could stay as long as she wanted.<br>Selina was in shock; all along, Batman was Bruce Wayne? "Oh God..." She whispered, and wrapped her arms around him slowly, breaking down into tears, merely a broken shell of her former self.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So…one last chapter left to come, if I get any feedback…maybe a sequel? Who knows. I have plans. BIG PLANS, my friends. Heh. Heheheh. HehehhemawaahahahahahahahHAH!**


	20. Archive Footage 14

Archive footage. Reel #400. 01/01/12 16:25:03s

Archive label: "Light in the Dark."

* * *

><p>"Gotham City was once a proud city. My father taught me that. He helped rebuild this city to a glory it has not experienced for a long time."<br>The voice of Bruce Wayne was being carried to every television in the city from the doorstep of Wayne Enterprises.  
>"Over the last few weeks, Gotham has become a divide." He said over the noise of heavy rainfall.<br>Reporters leant forward with tape recorders. "Mayor Quincy Sharp, acting under former Arkham doctor, Professor Hugo Strange, has engineered a huge plot to destroy crime in Gotham City by destroying crime. As you all know, I was wrongly imprisoned, and after my release...I admit I wasn't in the right frame of mind." He said. He'd have to live with Thomas Elliot's action as Bruce Wayne until they died down. "Hugo Strange controlled Sharp into giving him half of our beloved city. Which now lays in tatters on the shore line." He said.

In front of him were fifty reporters, who had flocked from news stations both near and far to get a word from Bruce Wayne on them Arkham City fiasco.

"Wayne Enterprises will be funding the reconstruction of the watershed area, and I will be leading the project myself, with the help of Lucius Fox." Bruce continued, "We can make this city great again." He said and stepped away from the microphone, taking the umbrella which Alfred had extended. "Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said.  
>"Miss Kyle is in the car, sir." Alfred said as they walked. His tone was aloof, distant.<br>"What's on your mind, Alfred?" Bruce asked.  
>"I'm still not sure including miss Kyle was the best decision, sir." The manservant replied.<br>Bruce stopped about 10 feet from the Rolls Royce and turned to his surrogate father. "Alfred, what happened to Selina in Arkham City has broken her, she needs friends. Batman was Catwoman's friend, of sorts..." He said, then sighed.  
>"Of course, sir," Alfred responded.<br>Bruce smiled slightly, and nodded a little and continued to the car. Alfred stepped past him and opened the rear door.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said and slipped into the car as Alfred took the umbrella from him.  
>Selina looked at Bruce and almost straight away slid into his embrace.<br>Bruce hesitated before sliding his arm around her, and felt her relax into him.  
>"Thank you, Bruce," she said quietly, gently laying her lips onto his.<br>Bruce's eyes went wide in surprise and he caught Alfred's small smirk in the mirror. As Bruce's eyes closed and he began to kiss her back, he slyly pressed the button to slide the partition up between the front and back of the Rolls.

* * *

><p>That night, Batman stood at the small observation deck atop the Wayne Enterprises building, using binoculars to survey the still-smoking heap that was Arkham City.<br>"_Still no word on Joker?_" Dick's voice in his ear.  
>"Nothing. How's Selina adjusting to the Wayne lifestyle?"<br>"_Oh, she's holding up. I'm having Alfred watch her, pop in every now and then._"  
>"She's changed." Bruce said with a warning in his voice.<br>"_Listen big man, I know you believe she's changed, and she's different, but think of this just like an internment at Arkham. No matter how much patients claim to be "cured" they always slip back._" Dick warned.  
>Bruce hummed a response, noticing movement in a building approximately a mile away.<br>"_Also, I don't know why. But Tim has returned the Robin costume._"  
>Bruce didn't know how to react. He stepped up to the edge of the deck and looked for the movement. Must've been a rat...<br>...Tim had resigned?

* * *

><p>As the sun rose onto a broken city, the Batmobile rolled onto the cave and growled to a halt on the turnstile. The door opened and Bruce stepped out, already removing his cowl from his face, which he lazily hung from the back of the chair as he sat in it.<br>"That never worked when you were younger. Don't expect it to start now." Bruce said loudly as he activated the system.  
>Tim stepped out of the shadows nearby, arms folded. "Dick told you?"<br>"That you gave the uniform back?" Bruce asked, "Yes. That you were hiding in the shadows? I picked you up on the car's thermal imaging as I rolled in."  
>Tim sighed.<br>"I don't like what's happening here," Tim said, "I don't like the direction things are moving in. Selina knows? So does Strange? And Ra's?"  
>"I believe...that Ra's may have known for a long time." Bruce interrupted.<br>"Well, nonetheless..." Tim sighed, "Batman used to stand for something," he said, "Something I looked up to..." He added. "I found a lead on Boomerang in Starling City." He announced, "I'll be leaving in an hour." he added.  
>Bruce said nothing. "You know you don't have to do this alone." He said eventually.<br>Tim frowned, "I do. You have enough to worry about here, with Gotham and Arkham." He said, and turned on his heel, passing Alfred wordlessly as he exited the cave.

Bruce continued tapping away at the computer, hoping to find some clue as to the Joker's whereabouts. Alfred stepped up behind up and plucked the cape and cowl from the chair, laying it over his arm.  
>"Not a fruitful evening, I assume?" He asked.<br>"No...still nothing on the Joker," Bruce replied.  
>"Well even so, sir," Alfred replied, "It begs the question...what shall we do with <em>him<em>?" He pointed a long wiry finger towards the soundproof holding cells, where a very unhappy Thomas Elliot still remained, his face re-bandaged by Alfred after he had plucked the stitches from the wounds and ripped his face apart. He smiled darkly under the bandages. "_Hush_..." He whispered, the word sounding like the whistling wind outside.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay...not sure if I liked that ending or not...but hey, hopefully people will want answers to things that can only be explained via a sequel...and so concludes my brand of the Arkhamverse...all thanks to Catwoman leaving Batman for death! Thanks for loyally reading this story, it's been awesome and fun to write!**  
><strong>If you're a fan of comic-book-based stories, check out my on-going Avengers fanfic "<strong>_**Loki's Kicks**_**" which is currently on its second Volume :D**


	21. Feeder

Enjoy this story?

Explore the shock-alternate ending continuation of _Batman: Arkham City_ in the on-going _Batman: Contract Terminated_. Based on the Deadshot side-quest in the _Arkham City_ video game. Keep an eye-out for a cameo of another increasingly-popular DC character at the end.

Is this the first of many sequels based on _Arkham City_ sidequests? Your views, reviews, and favourites will decide the fate of this alternate ending!

Read _Batman: Contract Terminated_ here;

s/9505424/1/Batman-Contract-Terminated


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